As a general rule, when a government agency denies access to records in Pennsylvania, the requester can appeal to the Office of Open Records.

Today, the OOR published a new Appeal Form. Our goal was to make it easier to understand and simpler to complete. The new form is available on the OOR website in two versions:

• Appeal Form Revised 2015-10-01 (PDF, fillable)
• Appeal Form Revised 2015-10-01 (Word)

If you prefer a standard PDF rather than a fillable PDF, that’s available here:

• Appeal Form Revised 2015-10-01 (PDF, standard)

Much more information about how to file an appeal is also available on the OOR website.

Previously, there were two Appeal Forms: one for standard denials, and one for “deemed denials.” (A “deemed denial” occurs when an agency doesn’t respond to a requester within the time limit established by the Right-to-Know Law.) The new Appeal Form replaces both of the previous versions. The OOR will still accept appeals filed on the previous forms.